He compared the rally attendance to a reported attendance of about 10 at a recent Tarkine National Coalition event, saying it showed a vast majority of Tasmanians wanted ''a sensible solution.''

''For too long the Greens have been going to Canberra saying they would represent the majority of Tasmanians.''

Feeling at the rally was strongly behind the AWU's argument that proposed new mines and environmental values could co-exist in the Tarkine.

The Gillard Government is under environmentalist pressure to national heritage list the Tarkine as approval decisions for mining projects loom.

Rosebery miner Mal Jago, who spoke at the rally said afterwards the environmentalist opposition to all new mines in the Tarkine would be the start of the end of all mining in Tasmania if it was successful, as existing mines could not last much longer.

He told the rally the Rosebery mine had not ''raped and pillaged the environment.''

''We've had a balance for 100 years.''

''We've planted more trees,'' he said, to loud applause.

"I wouldn't live anywhere else.''

He urged the crowd to make votes count when elections came around.

AWU state secretary Ian Wakefield said the attendance was beyond his wildest dreams.

Braddon Labor MHR Sid Sidebottom said the activities deemed ''old economy'' by environmentalists had looked after the Tarkine so well for generations that it was now being pushed as ''pristine and virginal and wilderness.''

Circular Head deputy mayor John Oldaker got one of the biggest cheers when he said if Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim ''thinks he can lock up everything up'' he should move a vote of no confidence in the state government and force an election.

He said the people were saying they wanted an election and majority government and most importantly for MPs to do what the public wanted.